Mahua Kothi is a Taj Safaris / &Beyond lodge in the Bandhavgarh National Park area, located very close the main gate in the premium game viewing zone of Bandhavgarh, now one of the top spots for tiger viewing in India. The lodge is one of the most luxurious in the area, combining high standards of Taj hospitality and service with excellent wildlife guiding from &Beyond.

Bandhavgarh National Park is one of India’s most beautiful national parks, with a dramatic landscape featuring dense Sal tropical jungle and woodlands, and steep rocky hills with flat grasslands in the valleys below. It supports one of the highest densities of tigers and other cats on the subcontinent making it ideal for Tiger Safaris, together with a wide variety of other wildlife and birds. A 10th-century, 35-foot reclining statue of Lord Vishnu and a 2000-year-old fort offer a cultural dimension too.

Mahua Kothi is a charming lodge located just outside the national park 20 minutes from the main gate, and set in 40 acres of Sal forest and grassland. A shady bamboo area houses the 12 kutiyas (jungle village huts), which are built in the vernacular style of central India but with the addition of air conditioning and ceiling fans. Each kutiya is accessed through its own private courtyard with shaded seating and a traditional mud floor. Interiors have a rustic feel and include wooden shutters, tapered mud-coloured walls and open rafters with roughly-hewn wooden beams.

The communal dining area is built from local stone with a huge open veranda looking out over the adjacent open grassland. An enormous Mahua tree (butter tree) offers another shady area also used for al fresco dining. There is a swimming pool and separate library area.

Game drives are offered mornings (0600-1030) and afternoons (1500-1800), except on Wednesday afternoons - this is a good time to enjoy a spa treatment, visit a local village or just relax in the lodge. The vehicles here are open TATA 4x4s with tiered seating for 6 guests. Elephant safaris and nature walks may be available.